Rotary-valve engine.



C. E. SHERMAN.

ROTARY VALVE ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 24,1916.

1 ,277,655, Patented Sept. 3, 1918.

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y; TTORNE-J' Patented Sept. '3, 1918.

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A ATON) UNITED @TATIE ?A??ENT @l FI@Et CHESTER E. SHERMAN, OF KANSAS CITY. MISSOURI. ASSIGNOR T0 ROTARY VALVE MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI, A CORPORATION OF MISSOURI.

ROTARY-VALVE ENGINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 3, I918.

Application filed June 24. 1918. Serial No. 105,696.

To all whom. it may concern:

Be it known that I. Ciinsrnn E. SHERMAN. a citizen of the Ifnited States, residing at Kansas City. in the county of Jackson and State of Missouri. have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rotary-valve Engines: and I do declare the following to be a full. clear. and exact desttription oi" the invention. such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures ot reference marked thereon. which fol-ma part of this speeilication.

My invention relates to internal combustion engines of the rotary valve type and has for its principal object to provide means whereby the valves may be cooled by a fluid medium that is confined and circulated interiorly of the valve mechanism to interpose a cooling medium between the valve body and the valve chamber, and thereby retain the said mechanism at a temperature below that of the cooling fluid.

In accomplishing this object I have provided improved details of structure, the preferred forms of which are illustrated'in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure I is an end view of an engine embodying my invention.

Fig. II is a transverse, vertical section of one or" the cylinder and valve sets, particularly illustrating the water jacket and feed tube.

Fig. III is a side view, partly in section, of the valve mechanism.

Fig. IV is a plan and horizontal sectional view of the valve sets.

Fig. V is a detail perspective view 0'? a rotary valve.

Referring more in detail to the drawings:-

1 designates the crank case, 2 the cylinders. 3 pistons, and t the valve housings of an internal coi'nbustion en ine, here shown to be of the ordinary vertical type, wherein the cylinders 2 are in pairs and are jacketed in the usual manner, so that a cooling inedinin may be circulated thcrcabout.

Each of the cylinders :2.2-2". etc, opens at its lower end into the crank case 1. and at its outer end into valve caps 6-ti etc, which are preterably formed inte 'al with the housing a and are of smaller diameter than the cylinders. the said cups comprising spaced side walls 8--8' forming intermediate chambers 9 within which a cooling medium may be circulated: the top members ll) also being provided with chainhers communicating with the chambers ii.

and having integrally formed outlet pipes 11 connniinicating with a manifold 11! by which a tluid cooling medium admitted to the chamber through an intake conduit l1; may be cir ulated about the valve cups and through a cooling radiator (not shown).

The top members ll) are also provided with centrally located apertures l-l into which spark plugs 15 may be threaded to provide means for igniting a firing charge within the cylinder.

The valve cups tS-(l' are provided with intake ports 16 and exhaust ports 17. which open outwardly therefrom through the cup walls, and register with relative intake and exhaust ports on the outer valve housings.

Ilevolubly mounted about the outer cup walls H" are rotary valves comprising sleeves 18. which fit snugly about the cup walls and within the housings 4, each sleeve hav-- ing a single port 19 thatis adapted for movement successively across the intake and exhaust ports 16-17 of the valve cups, so that connnunication is established at proper intervals between the intake and exhaust manifolds and intake and exhaust ports of the valve cup.

Formed integrally with the valve sleeve 15, near the upper edge thereof. is an annular flange 20 having a gear surface'fll adapted for meshing with a gear wheel 2'2 on a valve drive shaft which is ournaled in bearings 2% of housings 25, that inclose the said gears and. valve sleeves. and with the housings 4, form a container for a lubricating fluid.

The gear wheels and gear surfaces 21 of the valve sleeves are so arranged that the valve sleeves in each set are rotated in opposite directions so as to consolidate and concentrate the intake manifold for better constructive purposes.

In order to cllfectively lubricate the sleeve I provide openings 30 at the upper edge thereof, which open through port 31 to the gear casing wherein the lubricant is contained, and lead downwardly and open at opposite faces of the sleeve so that as the sleeve is revolved in the housing lubricating fluid may pass through the ports into the chambers and be delivered to the sleeve walls,

The valve shaft may be operated in any desirable manner, but is here shown to be driven by a chain belt 33 that runs over a sprocket Wheel 34: on the gear shaft 23 and Over a similar sprocket wheel 34 on the crankshaft35; the arrangement of the drive being such that the valve sleeves revolve once for two revolutions of the crank shaft.

Assuming that the parts are constructed and assembled as described, when the en gine is in operation the crank shaftis rotated and revolves the valve drive shaft, the valve drive shaft operates the gear whet ls to drive the rotary valves, and as the sleeves move about the valve cups the single port in each valve successively uncovers the intake and exhaust ports at proper intervals, so that communication is established with the intake and exhaust ports in the stationary valve to admit a charge to the cylinders and exhaust the fired charge therefrom.

It is apparent that by providing the valve housing with a water jacket as described, a continuous flow of water, or other cooling fluid, may be pumped or otherwise fed thereto and the valves cooled thereby. It is also apparent that by placing a water jacket interiorly of the rotary valve member, the

said member at no time will be heated to a higher temperature than that reached by the water, which will insure the valve against overheating, or sticking within its casing and also provides a way for effectively cooling the interior portion of the valve.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new therein, and desire to secure by Letters-Patent, is:-

In a rotary valve engine, a cylindrical valve cup having double walls to provide a chamber for a circulating medium and having inlet and outlet ports, one end of the chamber being open, a housing sleeved upon and spaced from the valve cup to form a valvesreceiving space, a valve having a port adapted to communicate first with the inlet. and then with the outlet ports in the valve cup, a cover member closing one end of the valve cup and bearing against the sleeve, the valve being centered in grooves in the cover and valve cup respectively. a laterally extending toothed flange on the valve and projecting into a recess formed at the juncture of the cover member and the sleeve, and means for rotating the valve.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

CHESTER E. SHERMAN. 

